GH4 GH4 night video for noobs? lens sharp vs iso?

W

wwjd

Well-known member
I'm new(ish) to cameras.... is it better to use the aperture setting that is SHARPEST for the lens (say 5.6) and up the ISO, or the lower number like 1.4, and lower ISO for less noise? I have some cannon lenses fixed at their sharpest aperture, but wonder should I open back up for night shooting? Video only, not stills.

Generally, how does a noob get great night video? I don't own any noise fixing software. Setting recommendations? Scene: cityscape and some slow panning, maybe an aerial also.

Any help appreciated. Thanks!
 
I have never noticed any difference in sharpness by changing the aperture, which is normally the primary method of adjusting the light coming into the lens. ISO/gain settings only get used when the aperture can't open wide enough.
 
I tend to bring it up to 2.8 or 1.8 (with my 45mm 1.8) to deal with the low light. Then bring up the ISO more to compensate if needed. you gotta be good with your focusing, practice practice practice. then go out and shoot!
 
It largely depends on the lens. Many cine lenses and some higher-end m4/3 lenses are pretty much sharp right across the frame at full aperture, so there's no problem shooting wide open if you don't need additional DOF. This was one of the big differences I found coming from a Canon/Nikon 35mm FF still-photo background where the rule of thumb was to always stop down 2 F-stops for sharpness. It's nice to be able to shoot at f/1.2 or f/1.4 and get a sharp clean shot.

As for noise, one of the best low-cost solution is the Neat Video denoiser, which has a bit of a learning curve but can sometimes work miracles.
 
Thanks for the feedback.

Anyone know the HIGHEST CLEAN ISO is on the GH4 yet? Many agreed my T3i was 1250 before it is unuseable... wonder if anyone has found the breaking point for the GH4?
Yeah, I'm just being lazy and asking instead of trying it myself.... :D
 
I frequently shot video on my T2i and T4i at 3200 ISO and took care of the noise with Red Giant Denoiser.
 
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